Egypt stops 15 African migrants before crossing Mediterranean

CAIRO: A total of 15 migrants of different nationalities have been arrested in Rosetta, in Egypt’s coastal governorate of Beheira, while trying to irregularly cross the Mediterranean, Youm7 reported Wednesday.

Most of the detained migrants are from Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.

The Intelligence Border guards Office in Abu Qir Town, north east of Egypt, indicated that the migrants were stopped before their smuggling boat sail to Italy.

Most of the attempts by Egyptian and foreign migrants to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe were laden with risk of arrests, as escalated security measures against the illegal practice is taking place at Egypt’s borders.

Sudanese constitute large percentage of total migrants trying to irregularly leave Egypt through land and coast borders. Egypt deported Tuesday 54 Sudanese to Khartoum after they were arrested while attempting to reach Italy in fishing boats through Delta governorate of Kafr el-Sheikh.

At the western border with Libya, Sallum crossing, Egyptian guards have arrested hundreds of migrants on a daily basis, while trying to “illegally” cross to the oil-rich country despite risks of radical Islamist groups controlling swaths of the country.

Egypt has also received waves of deported Egyptians, mostly from Italy, a few times this year over arriving illegally and violating residency law.

Egypt itself is hosting a total of 250, 600 refugees and asylum seekers (expected number by Dec. 2015,) mostly from Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia and Iraq,according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR.)

A humanitarian crisis is currently discussed worldwide as thousands of Syrian refugees are fleeing security turmoil in their country and seeking asylum in European countries, some of which announced their inability to receive refugees.

The number of migrants trying to reach Europe by sea is close to hit a record this year, according to the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration. The perilous journey has left many victims behind.